Meaning of 是不是
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- is or is not (used to form yes-no questions)
How to use 是不是
Put 是不是 before the part you want to check, or at the end of a statement to ask for confirmation, much like "right?" in English. Example: 你是不是老师？(Nǐ shì bu shì lǎoshī?) Are you a teacher or not?
The word is just 是 (shì, to be) placed on both sides of 不 (bù, not). It literally says "is, not is," so the listener has to pick one, and that makes it a yes-no question.
Common mistake: Learners often add 吗 (ma) to a 是不是 question, as in 你是不是老师吗？. This is wrong because 是不是 already makes the question, so use one or the other. Also, the middle 不 is usually said in a light neutral tone (bu), not a full bù.
是不是 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
是 shì · to be · 9 strokes
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不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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是 shì · to be · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 是不是.
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
Questions about 是不是
What does 是不是 mean?
是不是 (shì bu shì) means "is or is not (used to form yes-no questions)".
How do you write 是不是?
是不是 is made of 3 characters: 是 (9 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 是 (9 strokes). That is 22 strokes in total.
Is 是不是 an HSK word?
Yes. 是不是 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 你是老师吗 and 你是不是老师?
Both ask "Are you a teacher?" The 是不是 version sounds a little more direct. It can also suggest that you already suspect the answer and want the other person to confirm it.
Can 是不是 be used with verbs other than 是?
Yes. It can come before other verbs or adjectives to mean "is it the case that." For example, 你是不是累了？(Nǐ shì bu shì lèi le?) means "Are you tired?" You can also add it at the end of a sentence: 他走了，是不是？(Tā zǒu le, shì bu shì?) means "He left, right?"